gulp swimming mullet 5" ???

[fishonmike]

anybody now where to get gulp swimming mullet in 5" ???

fished party boat sat and a guy next to me had them ... he said they just came out with them

just did some searching on net can not find them

[Jigsmith]

Call the sponsors first, give them first crack. They come in packs or in Gulp Alive tubs. Limited colors though.

[MGM]

Try D**k's.....I got mine there...I was told only the big chains are getting first crack at them

[Dave A]

Pure Fishing gave D**k's the exclusive for this year and left all of us independant tackle shops out.

[jlrotary]

Used them once this year and they were purchased at d**ks

[JMM727]

http://www.njfishing.com/images/ABT_Banner.gif (http://www.njfishing.com/Atlantic_Bait_and_Tackle.php)

[JerseyCoast]

Pure Fishing gave D**k's the exclusive for this year and left all of us independant tackle shops out.


Thats one more reason I have been convincing my customers that a " Curly Tail Grub" at 1/4 the price of Gulp, is working just as well, if not better than this new formula/product we see this year. :mad: Its all about that tail action first, before any scent related attraction. :eek:

I decided to edit my rant here, but I have no problem admitting I am upset with the decision to cater to the corporate giants over the local shops.

These places are not what Bait & Tackle Shops are all about..... Your not getting your bait on the way out, unless your ok with waiting until 9am or 10am. Your not getting an experienced, accurate report from someone who is making their living in the business.

I would trust a Reel Seat Bar over an imported bar any day!!! Or a hand tied rig, over a sweat shop rig tied by somebody who can care less if you land that fish or not!

Yet, they continue to get items that we can not get. If you ask me, they can keep it. Once a manufacturer becomes all about the money, they no longer have any credibility in a quality product in my book!

Good luck getting the latest info, the correct info, or any extra help from somebody who has no idea what a uni knot is! Now that another big brand has chosen to become all about the money and not their product or their customers, it will not be long before your local shops are driven out of town. Yes, this is a sore topic with me!!! We have nobody to blame but ourselves, as long as we continue to patronize these places and tell the manufacturers that its ok to shut down the small shops loaded with experience.

[Jigsmith]

Wow, I had no idea. Can't really blame D**k's, but shame on Berkley. I can't imagine what their thinking was. I can see why tackle shops are pissed...for good reason too.

[JerseyCoast]

Wow, I had no idea. Can't really blame Dick's, but shame on Berkley. I can't imagine what their thinking was. I can see why tackle shops are pissed...for good reason too.


This is quickly becoming the new thing with many manufacturers. Wait & see what another year or two brings. :mad:

Over 70% of my shop is privately owned, custom tackle companies for a reason!!! ;)

[fishonmike]

Thanks for the replys .....really does s**k thats d**ks has exclusive rights to them this year

[kurtisb]

Berkley sell 3, 4 and 6" on their website.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/soft-bait/gulp/swimming-mullet-gulp

[june181901]

One important reason (to the manufacturers) that the box stores get products first is that a single phone call is made to say d***k's HQ in Pittsburgh. This is opposed to more than 20 sales reps stopping in more than independents in Monmouth County alone.
The independents should tell Berkely to stuff the 5 inchers next year when they are offered to them but economically they can't. Their business practises aren't "fair" but as they say life isn't fair".
Local guys deserve our support and I hope they will survive but it doesn't look optimistic.

[Irish Jigger]

Brother in law found them at the store mentioned above.

[JerseyCoast]

D***s has them.. and cheaper;)

I have edited my post.

Its obvious that my point was not taken correctly. I dont regret my original post, at all. Im glad it got some attention!

IMHO, to see a charter business continue to suggest local shops are priced too high, to shop at large retailers ( non sponsors), is no doubt a shot at ALL sponsors here. My post was meant to suggest that the very same small charter business who mentioned it more than once, also has larger competition, that customers can benefit from . Since a handful of people are not seeing the true meaning behind my post, its unfair to leave it up, since it was not about their boat being "no good". It was never meant to suggest his boat is not catching fish. It was a comparison. Do the math:
6 customers limiting out, compared to 60 customers limiting out...yes, the big boats catch more fish. It proves how a comment can hurt a business. Just like his comments about Dick's being cheaper than tackle shops.

My comment was a general statement, I was trying to say......Dont forget where your coming from!!! You too are a small operation and can be hurt by a bigger one! Nothing more or less.

I dont offer much Gulp anymore and I dont sell Spros......it was never about me. It was about the industry and the shops who do rely on those products! I am fed up with these large retailers and how they actually make more of a profit on you the buyer, than we do! Yet they are praised??!! I lost my cool, I admit it.

[Billfish715]

I didn't buy them. When I looked at them, they didn't look significantly longer than the 4". They did seem to have more "girth" which might make them hold up longer on a jig hook. Exclusivity and distribution of products has always been a part of the trade. There was a time when retailers could only buy through a wholesaler.....PERIOD. That included big, box stores. Some products simply have no mark up for individual retailers given the volume buying power of catalogue houses and the internet. Until someone proves that the 5" is catching more fish than the 4", why sweat what you can't control?

[buckfin732]

"Once a manufacturer becomes all about the money, they no longer have any credibility in a quality product in my book! " Isnt that why people are in business to make money?The reason Dicks is getting a first crack at the is the are buying 100,000 packs compared to the 1000 packs a tackle shop would buy.I agree with you about not being fair to the smaller shops and would rather give the smaller shops my money any day of the week.Its all good that you are in business to help people and you love fishing but in the end everyone that owns a business is in it for the money :eek: Now with that said i will be down Thursday night to pick up some bucktails:D

[Chris1129]

What's wrong with the 6 inch mullet? Just wondering...

[reason162]

Plus, your statement is incorrect! I am cheaper than the DICKS in my town!! :confused:

That's the only relevant sentence in your entire rant. But, since you don't even carry the 5" mullet...I'm pretty sure even that's missing the point.

The bottom line is the big chains can keep costs down, and the independent shops will generally have better service/advice/hours (though this is not always the case). If a customer's priority is to save money, he knows where to go. If a customer's priority is to talk to an experienced local, or "support a small business," he knows where to go. Simple.

[JerseyCoast]

That's the only relevant sentence in your entire rant. But, since you don't even carry the 5" mullet...I'm pretty sure even that's missing the point.


The bottom line is the big chains can keep costs down, and the independent shops will generally have better service/advice/hours (though this is not always the case). If a customer's priority is to save money, he knows where to go. If a customer's priority is to talk to an experienced local, or "support a small business," he knows where to go. Simple.

If you really want to save money, use a regular rubber curly tail. If you want to feel better, soak them in in crab or bunker oil. Same results, 1/8 the price.....

And you can probably buy that at Dick's too if you wanted to. ;)

The member here knows exactly what he said & what I am saying. As with all other small businesses today, tackle shops are being run out of town. When a charter captain suggests to patronize the big chains, rather than a local shop, with the wise guy wink at the end, sorry but, I am going to remind him how his customers too can benefit from cheaper prices. We should all be on the same team here in this industry as small business owners.

As far as saving money, I offer discounts to clubs, websites, I do give aways, I do more than my share to help the local guy out. Anybody that has dealt with me personally, will back that up. I have no argument there. This topic does not relate to my inventory, so I am not being hurt here. It was the way it was said & who said it.

His post was a blatant comment, suggesting you shop at the big retailers, rather than a small shop. All I did was defend it and remind him that he is a small guy as well. :rolleyes:
Had I come up on a thread, with somebody in his area asking who to use...... and I suggested either a non sponsor boat or a NY Boat, instead of him......would that be OK?? If he wanted to call me out, he would have every right.... no?

It was the sarcastic wink at the end that caused me to respond. Sorry man.....we can agree to disagree. No hard feelings. :)

[Kevin Bogan]

the gulp we are receiving now is not the same as in the past. The price is the same, but there are less pieces in each bag, and less juice.

[reason162]

[QUOTE]If you really want to save money, use a regular rubber curly tail. If you want to feel better, soak them in in crab or bunker oil. Same results, 1/8 the price.....

Sorry, but the results wouldn't even be close, at least for fluking. The organic material lures (gulp, excite-a-bite etc) are a different category of bait from the plastics.

I have a hard time believing that you actually believe what you're saying re gulp. Maybe you direct all your gulp-seeking customers to rubber grubs and crab oil, but somehow I doubt that. You, along with every single tackle store in the area sell a ton of gulp products, hence why you have such strong feelings on this thread's topic to begin with.

We should all be on the same team here in this industry as small business owners.

Not necessarily. The bottom line is the bottom line. If he can find cheaper tackle in a big chain...I don't see how his business benefits from buying from you.

Had I come up on a thread, with somebody in his area asking who to use...... and I suggested either a non sponsor boat or a NY Boat, instead of him......would that be OK??

Terrible analogy. It wouldn't be okay only insofar as the forum rules are concerned...but those NS boats are still "small businesses," correct?

[dfish28]

The jello I make stays on the hook better!